Locomotive



April 1930' s. M. VAUCLAIN 1,755,974

LOCOMOTlVE Filed Jan, 23, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet l April 1930- s. M.VAUCLAIN 1,755,974

LOCOMOTIVE Filed Jan. 23, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 1930. s. M.VAUCLAIN 1,755,974

LOCOMOTIVE Filed Jan. 23, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 22,- 1930. s. M.VAUCLAIN LOCOMOTIVE Filed Jan. 23, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fatentecl Apr.22 1930 UNETED STATES PATNT OFFICE sAMiiEI. M. 'vAUoLAII or ROSEMONT,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS, or PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION oI' PENNSYLVANIA- LOCOMOTIVE Applicationfiled January 23, 1926. Serial No. 83,280.

The invention relates particularly tolocomotives of thethree cylindertype, that is to locomotives having a third cylinderlocated centrallybetween the two forward outer cylinders. The three cylinder unit may beused 1 alone, or it may be combinedin a locomotive of the Mallet type,with two rear cylinder's to form a five cylinder locomotive.

The principal object of the invention is to it provide an improvedcombination of the valve gear mechanism for operating the valves of thethree cylinder or forward unit. In accordance with the invention, I usea valve gear of the Stephenson type for operatingthe valve of the thirdcylinder in combination with valve gears of the lValschaert or othertypes for operating the valves of the outer cylinders. I

Another object of the invention is to pro- 2 vide various improveddetails of construction and mounting for the Stephenson valve gear. vStill further objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification and claims.

I It'i s to be understood that the accompanying drawings showing theinvention are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construedas defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming apart of this specification being relied upon for that purpose. I Of thedrawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the front part of a locomotive embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a front view withcertain parts omitted, this view showing therelation between the cylinders and valve chests.

Fig. 3 is a schematic side View showing the Stephenson valve gear andassociated parts.

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken along theline 55 of Fig. 4. r

Figs. 6 and 7 are side and plan detailed views, respectively, showingthe rocker arm forming a part of the operating mechanism forthe'Stephenson valvegear.

Figs. 8 and 9 are schematic views somewhat similar respectively to Figs.3 and 4,but show 14.- with the rear frame. The front part of the ing analternate embodiment of the invention. Referring to the drawings, itwill be seen that I have illustrated the invention as applied to a fivecylinder Mallet locomotive. As illustrated the front frame 1 of the locomotive is supported in the usual way on drive wheels, four pairs 2, 3, 4and 5 of such wheels being illustrated. These pairs of wheels areprovided respectively with axles 6, 7, 8 and 9. The boiler is indicatedby 10, this boiler being directly connected with and partly supported bythe rear section of the main frame, a part of'which is indicated at 11.Thisrear section of the main frame is supported in the usual way onsuitable drive wheels (not shown). The two frames 1 and 11 are con-.nected by means of a link 12 having a hor:

izontal pivotal connection at 13 with the front frame, and a verticalpivotal connection at boiler has a sliding bearing 15 on the frontframe 1. Thus the front frame is enabled to turn with respect to therear frame in accordance with curvatures of the track, and, at the sametime, the front frame serves to carry its proportionate weight of theboiler. The cylinders for the rear unit of the locomotive arerepresented by 16. Theses cylinders may be secured directly to theboiler or to the rear frame. They are provided with valve chests 1'? towhich steam is supplied from the boiler through pipes 18. Associatedwith the cylinders 16 are the usual connect ing rods, connecting links,valve gears and the like which are not shown as they do not ofthemselves constitute any part of the present invention.

The two outer cylinders for the front unit are represented at 19, 19,these being provided with valve chests 20, 20. The third cylinder forthe front unit is shown at 21, being located at the center of thelocomotive. This cylinder is provided with a valve chest 22 located atone side of the center. It will be noted that, while the cylinders 19,19 with their valve chests are substantially horizontal, the cylinder 21with its valve chest is inclined downward toward the rear.

' The three cylinders 19, 19-and 21 are preferably low pressurecylinders receiving steam 109 discharged from the high pressurecylinders 16. For conducting the steam from the high pressure cylindersto the low pressure cylinders receiver p1pes-23-are provided, thesepipes being carried on the front frame by means of brackets 24, 24.These pipes receive the steam after it has expanded in the cylinders1616 and they are connectedrby means of flexible ball joints 25 whichpermit the receiver pipes 23 to move with the frame l and the cylinders19, 19, and relatively to the boiler 10. It is to be noted that theseTheexhaust from the three cylinders 19, 19

and 21 is through the exhaust pipe 26. Inasmuch asthe cylinders andtheir steam chests are carriedby the relatively movable front frame, andinasmuch'as the exhaust must discharge into the front of the boilerstructure, thesaid exhaust pipe 26 is provided with flexible ball jointsat 27 andv28, and is also pro vided with a telescopic connectionor slip'joint at 29. Each] of the front. cylinder 19, 19 is provided with theusual piston rod 30 and cross.

head 31. The cross-head 31 travels along the guide 32, which issupported by means of the transverse supporting vmember 33 carried bythe frame 1. A connecting rod 34 extends from the cross-head to acrankpin 35'on one 7 of the drive wheels, and when there are four drivewheels on each side, as shown, the crank pin will ordinarily be on thethird wheel from the front. i The usual links 36 V are provided forconnecting the several drive wheels.

With a three cylinder locomotivethe crank.

pin 35 for the other'side'of the loco ti e will b'e angularly spacedthrough 120 from the crank pin 35. V r

Each of the valve chests 20 is provided with a valve rod 37, andasuitable valve gear I is provided for operating and controlling thisrod to'thus operate and control the valve. I do not limit myself to theuse of any particulartype of valve gear for this purpose, as there are anumberof valve gears which are well known and which are satisfactory.However, in order thatmy invention may be clearly understood, 1haveshown and will describe a valve gear of thelValschaert type.

As illustrated, there is a lap-and-lead rod 38 which is pivotallyconnected tothe valve rod at 3.9. A cross-head link 40 pivotallyconnects'the lower end of the lap-and-lead rod 38 with a lug 41 on thecross-head31. At a point above the pivotal connection 39, the rod 38 ispivotally connectedwith thefront end of a radius rod 42. Pivotallyconnected with therear end of a radius rod is a block'43 which isadapted to be adjusted'in a segmental slot in a reverse link 44. Thereverse link is pivoted to the frame at 45, and at its lower end it ispivotally connected with an eccentric rod 46. This eccentric rod eX-tendsrearward to an eccentric crank arm 47 connected with one of thedrlve wheels, in this case the dr1ve'wheel4. Extending transverselyacross the locomotive and mounted,-

in 'suitablefbearings on the front frame Tie a' reverse shaft 48provided with a forward extending arm 49. A link 50 connects' the arm 49with the radius rod 42 so that he positionofthe radius rod and of theblock 43 with respect-tothe reverse link can be changed. The reverseshaft also carries an operating arm 51v which istconnected with a reachrod 52. y The reach rod is usually connected with a suitable powerreverse mechanism (not shown) whereby the reverse jshaftcan be adjustedto changethepositions of the radius rods. It will be understood that thelink mechanisnnwhich T have described, is duplicated on the oppositeside of the locomotive, and that both radius rods are operated by thesingle reverse shaft. I,

From the foregoing description, itwill be apparent that the rod 38, whenoscillated by the link 40, serves to reciprocate the valve rod 37. Thismotion,.however, is modified and controlled by the endwise motion whichthe radius rod'receives from the reverse link 44. When the radius rod isin its central or neu-. tra-l position, shown, it has no endwise motion.When the rod is raised or lowered,

tained, and thevarying eXtents and different directions of this motionserve to regulate the flow of steam to the cylinders 19, 19, and alsoserve to reverse the direction of travel of the locomotive. v i Thethird-cylinder 21 is providedwith piston rod 53 and a cross-head54travelling on a cross-head guidei 85. The cross-head guide is inclincdin accordance with the inclination of the cylinder and valve chest. Aconnecting rod .56 extends from the crosshead 54, an d engages one ofthe axles which is provided with a suitable crank 57. As shown, thethird axle 8 is the one which is cranked. The axes of the two crank pinsand 35, and the az iis of the crank 57 are'unis formly spacedcircumferentiallyso a teunt forinly apply the power of the threecylinders to the drive wheels: Yllhen the third axle from the frontis-cranked, as shown it is usually necessary-to provide the second axle'ZLWith an offset or crank 58 so as to provide clearance fortheconnecting rod 56. i

The valve chest 22 for the third cylinder is provided withsa valve rod59, and in accordance with i the 1' invention 1 provide animprovedandnovel valve gear for operating this valve rod 59. p Theavailable space islimited, inasmuch as the axles"? and 8 are not varyingamounts of end-wise motionsare ob available for operating the valve gearby reason of the fact that both of them are cranked. As a practicalmatter therefore, it is necessary to operate the valve gear from one ofthe other axles, preferably the first axle 6. I have found that thevalve rod 59 can most satisfactorily be operated by a valve gear of theStephenson type modified and adapted for the peculiar conditionsincident to a three or five cylinder locomotive.

Mounted on the axle 6 at one side of the center are two eccentrics 60and 61. These eccentrics are engaged by eccentric straps 62 and 63 whichare connected respectively with eccentric rods 64 and 65. These rods arepivotally connected with a reverse link 66, having a segmental slot 67therein. A block 68 is relatively movable in this slot 67, the blockbeing pivotally connected with a radius rod 69. The rear end of theradius rod is suspended from the front frame 1 by means of a link 70,and the front end of the radius rod is directly pivoted to anoscillating lever 71.

For vertically adjusting the reverse link 66 there is provided atransverse reverse shaft 72, supported at one end by a bearing bracket73 carried by the cross-head guide 55 and at the other end by a bearingbracket 74 carried by'the cross-head guide 82. The reverse shaft 72 isprovided with a rearward extending arm 75 which is connected with thereverse link 66 by means of a link 76. The reverse shaft 72 is alsoprovided with an arm 7 7 which is connected-by means of a link 78 withan arm 79 on the main reverse shaft 48.

The lever 71 is of peculiar construction and mounting, and has certainimportant advantages. The reverse link 66'and the radius rod 69 arenecessarily located between the side members of the front frame 1; butthe valve rod 59 to be operated is located at one side of the frontframe as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. The motion of the radius rod must,therefore, be transmitted laterally from the verticalplane thereof tothe vertical plane of the valve rod. Furthermore, on account ofpractical limitations the space immediately below the upper element ofthe side member of the front frame is required for other parts, such asan equalizing spring or an equalizing lever. The pivotal mounting forthe lever 71 cannot, therefore, be mounted below the said top member. Toattempt to locate the pivotal mounting entirely above the said topmember would not give-the proper proportion of leverage between theupper and lower parts of the lever. To avoid such difliculties I have soconstructed the lever and its mounting that the pivotal axis extendsdirectly through the said top member of the frame, the lever having itslower arm 71 located at the inside of the frame member and its upper arm71 located at the outside of the frame member. These two arms 71 and 71are connected respectively with the radiusrod-69and with the valverod59.- .1 Y 7 For supporting the rocklever 'T 1', there is provided abearing bracket 80 which is sup ported in part on the main frame, and inpart on the transverse guide support 33, as clearly shown in Figs 5, 6and 7. It will be noted that the bracket has a forward extending lug 81which partly surrounds the top element of the frame member, and isprovided at its sides with aligned inward tapering openings. The bearingbracket 81 is also provided with lugs-82 and 83 located on oppositesides of the lug 81, and spaced therefrom. These lugs have aperturesregistering with the beforementioned apertures in the lug 81. The rocklever 71 is formed to embrace the lug 81, and the opposite parts thereoffit between the outer sides of the said lug 81 and the inner sides ofthe said lugs 82 and 83. Bearing pins 84 and 85 fit the beforementionedapertures in the lugs 81, 82 and 83, and extend through suitable bearingapertures in the sides of the rock lever 71. These pins 84 and 85 aretapered at their inner ends to fit the tapered apertures in the lug 81,and preferably a draw bolt 86 extends through central holes in the twobearing pins and also through a hole in the top element of the framemember. This draw bolt is provided with a nut by means of which the drawbolt serves to force the two bearing pins toward each other, and. intothe tapered apertures in the lug 81. Thus thetwo pins 84 and 85 are heldfirmlv in place and provide a rigid bearing support for the rock lever.The pivotal axis extends through the top element of the frame mem ber,but any weakening of the said top member is avoided.

"The bearing bracket 80 may also have other functions. As shown, it isprovided with a bearing pin 87 which may serve to support a brake hanger(not shown).

' From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the reverse link66 is operated by the eccentric rods 64 and in the usual way. The radiusrod 69 is given the usual longitudinal movement. which is transmitted tothe valve rod 59 by means of the rock lever 71. This motion is modifiedand controlled in the usual way by raising and lowering the link, thisraising and lowering being effected by means of the rock or reverseshaft 72 and the parts associated therewith. It is to be particularlynoted that the reverse shaft 72 is operated from the main reverse shaft48 so that the reverse links for all three of the valve gears are movedin unison. In this Way the single reach rod 52 serves to operate andcontrol the valve gears for all three cylinders.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown an alternate embodiment of the invention,wherein the Stephenson valve gear is actuated by the axle 9 at the rearof the cranked axle 8". Mounted on the said axle 9 at one side of thecenter thereof are two eccentrics 88 and 89. These eccentrics areengaged by eccentric straps 90 and 91 which are connectedwith-eccentricrods 92 and 93. These rods are pivotally' connected with a reverse link94, having a segmental slot 95 therein. A block 96 is relatively movablein this slot 95 and the block is carried by the lower end of a rocklever 97,

which is the sameas or similar to the rock lever 71.

i For vertically-adjusting the reverse link 94 thereis provideda'transverserock shaft 98 connected by means of an arm 99 and a link 100with the main reverse shaft .101. The rock shaft 98 is provided with aforward extending arm 102 which is connected with the reverse link 94 bymeans of a link 103. .The link 94 is thus connected to be adjustedsimultaneously with the adjustment of the valve gears for the outsidecylinders.

The construction and mounting of the rock lever 97 are substantially thesame as for therock lever 71 and repetition of the description isunnecessary. The lever has a lower inner arm 97 which carries the block96'and an upper outer arm 97* which is con- "nected with the valve rod59 for thethird cylinder. *1 have shown a series of links 104interposed-between the lever arm'97 and the valve rod, but I do notlimit myself'to the construction shown. I

WVhat I claim is: 1. The combination ina valve mechanism for alocomotive of side frames, a valve, a Valve gear of the Stephenson typefor operatingthe valve, the mechanism of the gear being located betweenthe frames, a rocking lever for the'gear; a bearing bracket for thelever havin a lug engaging both sides of the top element of a sideframe; and two opposed bearing pins for the lever extending intoapertures inthe side lug of the frame.

2. The combination in a valve mechanism at the opposite sides for athree cylinder locomotive, of side frames; a valve gear mounted betweenthe 7 frames for'operating the valveof the central cylinder; a brackethaving a pair of lugs extending on each side of one of said frames; atrock shaft having. two arms extending on each side of said side frameand between the lugs; bearing pins carried by the lugs,

each pin Xtending through an arm of the lever; and a draw bolt extendingthrough both pins and through a hole in the frame.

SAMUEL M. VAUCLAIN.

